Design & Construction

The Sony NW-WS413 is that one music player you want to get, with more and more audio companies stepping up the game to bring audio to not just basic listeners but also sportsmen. The NW-Ws413 is built strong with a thick band that run behind your head, an significant improvement from the last generation of Sony's sports Walkman MP3 player. The buttons are built on the left and right of the player. The left side houses: the mode of playback button(Normal, Repeat and Shuffle), ambient sound mode button (Lighter in Colour), Vol + & Vol- buttons at the bottom. The right side houses: the On/Off button, Play/Pause button, & track forward and backward button. The Sony logo is on the left side and the Walkman logo on the right. This model also offers salt-waterproof where users can use it in seawater, but no matter if its the sea or the pool, washing afterwards is required to prevent the damage to the charge parts and the player appearance itself. The player works in extreme temperatures between -5°c to 45°c and only weighs 32g.

Sound Quality

Sound quality is decent. Unfortunately, this sports MP3 player does not have any audio customisation effects however, even without any customisation of sound, songs played in the water or on land is surprisingly good. Bass, vocals and treble are clear and there is no distortion at all. However, when used in the water with swimming earbuds on, the sound is significantly softer and the volume needs to be increased so that you can hear your music in the water. There is a very special feature called the ambient sound mode, something that I always wanted in all personal audio equipment. The player has 2 microphones, one on each side which picks up surrounding sound so that you are aware of your surroundings and stay safe. You can also turn it on if you want to talk to your friend or instructor while you enjoy your music. There is also a built-in mic for hands-free calls.

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Connectivity & Portability

With the addition of Bluetooth on board, it acts as a wireless in-ear headphone and also a MP3 player. So if you wants to listen to music on your phone, it is a breeze. It has a basic 4GB storage and an 8GB version which is only available in certain countries/regions. Its battery life peaks at 12 hours and has a quick charge feature which charges up in 3 minutes for an hour of usage. With ambient sound mode on, the battery life is still quite high at 7-8 hours, varying on the condition of usage in term of volume etc.

 

PROS

• Durable construction

• No Distortion even at high volume levels

• Long Battery Life

• Ambient Sound Mode

• Great & Easy Fit

• Balanced Sound Signature

• Light-weight

• Works In Extreme Temperatures

• A Range Of Colours

• Waterproof & Salt-waterproof For Use In Ocean

• No Muffled Sound Even if Water Seeps In

• Bluetooth & NFC Enabled

• Quick Charge

 

CONS

• No Tuning Of Sound Output

 

The Bottom Line

The Sony NW-WS623 is a inexpensive MP3 player/wireless in-ear headphone which has 4GB storage, a long-lasting 12 hrs battery, ambient sound mode, fantastic design and decent sound with totally no distortion or muffled sound. It is seriously a great choice for every active sportsman. A range of colours also suit every type and gender of users.